


Dating

by hardlynoticeable



Category: Free!
Genre: First Kiss, Getting Together, M/M, Sequel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-07
Updated: 2014-08-07
Packaged: 2018-02-12 05:16:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,509
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2097108
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hardlynoticeable/pseuds/hardlynoticeable
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ai’s lips were plump and soft, his skin warm under Rin’s hands, and when he couldn’t stand on his toes any longer, he sank with a huff of annoyance against Rin’s lips.</p>
<p>The promised sequel to <a href="archiveofourown.org/works/2066013">Try-Outs</a> and a very late Day Three for Rintori Week.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Dating

Rin’s heart felt like it was going to beat its way free from his chest. He was excited, nervous, and filled with adrenaline. It was just prefectures, but it felt like nationals. If they blew it here, it would be over. Yes, he had already won his advancement to regionals in butterfly – alongside Rei who had come in second by less than four seconds – but if they couldn’t place first or second with the right qualifying time, they would be done. His hopes of going to nationals on the perfect team would be dashed forever.

 

It was Ai’s heat against Nagisa and he was doing well. While Nagisa did manage to pull ahead a few times, he never kept the lead. Ai kept pace with him well. Still, Rin wanted them to be done already. He was itching to go.

 

As they approached, he and Rei got ready. He glanced over and smirked at his competition with all his teeth bared because he knew it freaked him out. Rei swallowed visibly but ignored him. He turned his attention back to the race. Just in time too. Nagisa touched the wall first but Ai wasn’t far behind and Rin kicked off as hard as he could to make up for it.

 

Every time he broke the surface, he heard Ai and Momo cheering him on. Towards the end, he heard Sousuke too. Each member of his team urging him to hurry up together sounded chaotic and wonderful. But they were his team. _His_ team of people who wanted to be in the relay and wanted the victory as much as he did. Momo, who was determined to be an essential part of their team, since he had never been on one before. (Also because he wanted to impress Gou, but Rin was pretending that reason was nonexistent so he didn’t kill the kid.) Sousuke, who wanted to prove that he could be a team player and experience for himself what Rin loved so much about this. Rin himself, who wanted the best team in Japan and an incredible last season, just in case this was it for him and competitive swimming. And then there was Ai. His precious Ai, who was willing to work himself into the ground just to swim on their relay team. He wanted to be as good as the other three and be worthy of swimming on the same team as Rin. Every time he said that, he said Rin. He had to wonder what that meant.

 

They weren’t the closely bonded team that the Iwatobi boys were, but they were showing that they could be. Each one came into this prepared to trust and depend on each other. Just knowing that they were all waiting for him gave him an incredible surge of energy and he left Rei in the dust.

 

He finally touched the wall and Sousuke flew over him. He heaved himself out of the water and joined Ai and Momo to watch Haru and Sousuke.

 

They were so, so close. No one on either team was yelling; they were too busy watching with their heats in their threats. Rin wasn’t sure who he was talking to, but he mentally begged them for this race not to be their last as a team. He at least wanted to go to regionals together. And he wanted the Iwatobi team to come too because they deserved to.

 

Nervous, he reached for support and found Ai’s hand without taking his eyes off the two swimmers. He felt Ai twine their fingers together and glanced over. Ai wasn’t watching the water. He was looking at Rin.

 

Rin squeezed his hand and smiled. Ai stepped closer. Nagisa suddenly let out an excited yell and they looked to see why. Their hands stayed joined even as they celebrated the tie that meant they would all be going to regionals.

 

They all went to rinse off together after the announcer finished making the announcement.

 

Inside the locker room, everyone’s energy was high. Except for Sousuke and Haru, but while Haru was being as subdued as usual, he was also smiling. Meanwhile, Rin kept laughing for no reason. He was so thrilled, he couldn’t help it. Nagisa kept lurching at people and yelling, “We did it! We’re all going!”

 

Rei quickly guided him away and apologized each time, but he was smiling.

 

“I like it this way,” Ai admitted when Sousuke asked what was so great about a tie. “We all really want to move on. And we’ve all kind of earned it. We all get to go with this tie. No one has to watch their friends lose.”

 

Rin slid his arm around Ai’s shoulders and grinned even though the look on Sousuke’s face suggested he still didn’t really get it. He would deal with that later. “I agree. This is perfect.”

 

Ai looked up at him and smiled.

 

“When did you two start dating?” Rin and Ai jerked their heads over to look at Haru in shock and blushed deeply. “You’ve been holding hands since before I got out of the water and now you have you arm around him. Are you dating?”

 

“Haru,” Makoto said, holding his hands up so Haru would know to stop talking and to show Rin and Ai that no harm was meant. Obviously, he was very used to doing that. “We used to hold hands too,” he reminded him in a hushed tone.

 

Haru glared at him. “You said we had to stop unless we wanted people to think we were dating,” he snapped. “Holding hands at our age means dating, right? So why can’t I ask if they are? We’re their friends.”

 

Makoto didn’t seem to have an answer to that. Rin tsked under his breath and released Ai to rub awkwardly at his neck. “No, we’re not dating,” he finally replied. He walked over to talk with Haru privately. “I haven’t asked yet, that’s why you aren’t supposed to ask. And Makoto’s mom told him that he had to stop holding your hand; it wasn’t his idea. So don’t hold stupid grudges.”

 

Haru looked away. Makoto smiled gratefully.

 

They all finished rinsing off and pulling on their tracksuits after that. Nagisa and Rei led the way from the showers through the locker room. Nagisa excitedly told Rei that they needed to go celebrate all together. He might’ve been talking to all of them, but Rei was the only one actively paying attention. Rin certainly wasn’t, though he did think a celebration was a good idea. He was thinking about Ai letting him hold his hand and smiling when he put an arm around him. He agreed with Haru. That had to mean something. But he wasn’t sure whether to bring it up today or tomorrow.

 

Two steps from the door, trailing behind everyone else, Ai eliminated the need for a choice.

 

He seized Rin’s hand and pulled so he stumbled to a stop and turned enough to face him. Before he could say a word, Ai stretched up, put a hand on his cheek, and kissed him.

 

Rin’s eyes were wide for about two seconds before everything completely registered and he turned his body fully, cupping Ai’s face in both hands to keep him close and deepen the kiss.

 

Ai’s arm looped around his neck for support in standing on his toes while Rin’s tongue slipped into his mouth. Ai’s mouth parted a little more as he gasped softly in surprise. Rin took full advantage.

 

The deep kiss felt incredible, honestly. But there weren’t any huge fireworks going off behind his eyelids and the world didn’t narrow down to the two of them and their points of contact; instead, he felt hyperaware of everything. He heard the tiniest hitch in Ai’s breath, felt his heat through both their track suits, and even tasted the faintest flavor of this morning’s breakfast on Ai’s tongue. Ai’s lips were plump and soft, his skin warm under Rin’s hands, and when he couldn’t stand on his toes any longer, he sank with a huff of annoyance against Rin’s lips.

 

Rin loved it all so much that he forgot himself and moaned. And while he cursed himself for making such an embarrassing noise during their first kiss, Ai seemed determined to get him to do it again.

 

Before he could though, they had to break for air. “Rin-senpai,” Ai whispered lovingly, nudging his nose against Rin’s chin.

 

“Don’t add the senpai. We just kissed,” Rin replied. He pressed their lips together briefly, just to remind him. Ai giggled and he smiled at how cute it was.

 

“So…You’re dating _now_ , right?” They looked to the door and found all their friends standing in it to stare at them. Nagisa looked even more excited than before. He was going to be unbearable for a while. Possibly until regionals.

 

“Yes, Haruka-senpai,” Ai answered with a laugh. “We’re dating now.”

 

Rin looked down and grinned. Ai smiled back even as he pulled him down for another long, slow kiss.


End file.
